


I Am Jason Aldean

by Resistance



Category: Country Music RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-26
Updated: 2013-07-26
Packaged: 2017-12-21 09:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/898842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resistance/pseuds/Resistance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Names are a funny thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Am Jason Aldean

Names are a funny thing. When you're born, your parents hand it to you and for the most part you're stuck with it. They pick your first name—this thing that's gonna identify you for the rest of your life—at random, because they like the sound of it or something like that. Then they add your father's last name like you’re his property. No one stops to think if the guy's gonna be worthy of that, it's just a right given to him 'cause he donated some sperm to the project. There’s something wrong with that.

My father was an asshole. He probably still is but I only talk to him through the press where he’s gotta behave himself if he wants to look like an actual father to people he wants to impress. When I hit Nashville way back when, I was full of resentment and anger towards him, even if he gave me money and helped with the move when people were looking. He wanted a famous son, I knew that was on his mind the whole time he was trying to set things up for me. My mom took me from gig to gig because she saw what being on stage meant to me. She wanted me home but understood why I had to do this. She didn't have any extra money to give me, but she helped when she could—emotionally mostly. Like when they signed me to a songwriting deal in '98 and I found out that I suck at writing songs, or when I signed my first recording contract in 2000 and they dropped me because I like my hat and they couldn't turn me into what they wanted. My mom is good at talking me through that kind of thing.

Anyway, once we figured out that singing was the way I was gonna make it big, I decided that my dad wasn't gonna get the credit, even if the press wanted to include him. I never felt like a Williams even if that was the only last name I’d ever known. Kids on my baseball teams used to call each other by our last names, because we saw the adults doing it, and it sounded cool. I hated answering to that. When I signed my first deal, they talked so carefully around the fact they thought my name was kinda boring and too close to a whole list of people I didn't want to be associated with including a basketball player or two. They didn't have to ask me twice to change it, I had spent my entire childhood wondering how I was gonna get out of this damn name they’d saddled me with.

My first name is pretty common and middle name is my mom’s maiden name. It was easy to decide that’s what I wanted to use. After almost twenty years of using it, my first name was completely mine and I wasn't giving that up. But switching my last name to Aldine sounded great to me. Until every single person that saw it written down pronounced it wrong. Every. Single. Person. It got old. Really fast. No, it’s _-dean_ , not _-dine_. Yes, I know it’s spelled that way, but that ain't how you say it. Yeah, I’m really sure. It’s my damn name. Tully suggested that I could always change the spelling. It’d make my life easier. 

My mom didn't like it at first, she’d spent her whole life up until marriage correcting people and I think she took a little pride in that. I didn't like it at first either, but I was gonna be famous and there was that quote about not caring what they say as long as they spell your name right. I was holding to that. And besides, as I explained to her once I figured it out, the name was mine. It was from her, but I’d made it my own now. It’d made my own name for myself, as myself. She’d given me something to start with, but I’d found myself out of that. Every time I see it on a poster or the radio or a magazine, I smile. That’s my name.

I am Jason Aldean.


End file.
